Belt-dressing composition and method of making the same



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS ml rrsrmn, or cmaxsnann, mrssoonr- No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Louis M. France, a citizen of the United States, residing at larksdale, in the county of De Kalb and State of'Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Belt-Dressing Compositions and Methods of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and im-.

proved composition of matter for use as a friction surface dressing for drive belts, brake bands, pulleys, clutches, etc, and has for one of its objects to provide a composition of matter of this character which is itself of an elastic and waterproof nature and hence well adapted to serve as a protector and efiicient friction drive dressing for flexible drive elements, such as belts, or rigid drive elements, such as pulleys or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dressing which may be inexpensively made from waste or scrap material and which possesses inherent frictional qualities, the degree of which may be varied as desired by the addition of other frictional substances incorporated therewith.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a method of making a composition of the stated character.

In carrying my invention into practice, I use old scrap or waste rubber, such as old inner tubes for pneumatic tires, which are no longer serviceable for use. This material is first sub-divided by cutting or otherwise reducing it to small pieces, and the material so sub-divided is then placed in an ordinary kettle and heated to a desired degree. The temperature of the heat employed is such as to fuse the sub-divided material, i. e., to melt it to a liquid condition. In practice, it is preferable to employ old waste rubber which has been more or less oxidized by air exposure, as I find that this produces a prod net of superior qualities due in some manner to the process of oxidation. I also prefer to employ old rubber which contains a certain amount of filler material, such as is commonly employed in making certain grades of inner tubes, such as zinc-oxide, barium sulphate, lamp black, etc., the last named being used when it is desired to give body and suitable color. I may, of course, employ rubber of the ordinary gray or red shades, which will result in making a prodnot of one or the other of these colors, but

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

Application filed March 26, 1921. serial No. 455,795.

if desired suitable coloring. materials may be added to secure the exact shade or color desired.

As a result of the process of fusing or melting the material, a thick, heavy liquid substance is produced which is no longer rubber, but which is of very heavy consistency, highly adhesive, of a waterproof character, and capable of adhering strongly to surfaces and forming a frictional coating therefor. This coating will not only protect the surface of the belt, pulley or other object to which it is applied against the action of moisture and other deleterious actions, but will provide a surface which increases the driving action between such surface and the belt or other element driven thereby, thus preventing slipping and enabling a high degree of driving force to be applied with the expenditure of less power. By the addition of powdered emery, or other similar substances, to the compound, the frictional action thereof may be increased to any degree desired.

In lieu of old rubber of the character described, I may employ the old outer casings of pneumatic tires, composed of rubber and layers of fabric, in which case this material is first ground, shredded or otherwise finely sub-divided and then melted, the resultant mixture being a heavy, adhesive body containing the fabric in a finely shredded mass, the particles of fabric constituting fine solid particles distributed through the mass apd increasing the frictional qualities there- 0 In the use of the composition it is spread over the surface of the belt, pulley or other object to which it is applied and adheres strongly thereto, solidifying to a certain extent, so that it preserves its integrity, but at all times retaining a certain degree of stickiness or adhesion, with the result that in addition to its physical frictional properties it also has binding or adhesive properties, thus increasing its efficiency for the purposes described.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim:

1. A liquid friction dressing composition comprising melted vulcanized rubber having a solid, powdered friction material incorporated therewith.

2. The herein-described liquid friction dressing, the same comprising a composition of old vulcanized rubber and fabric heated to reduce the fusible constituents to a melted state and containing the fabric in a shredded state.

3. The herein-deserilmd method of making, a liquid friction dressing, which consists in taking old vulcanized rubber and fabric,

reducing the same to a finely divided state by shredding, and then subjecting the divided material to heat to melt the fusible 10 constituents thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LOUIS M. FISHER. 

